Category Archives: Sign Design

Throw your own fashion week gala!

Fun and fresh theme ideas for a local fashion show

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Hosting a local fashion show is a great way to raise money for a good cause, instill school or community spirit or just have a fun social event. Giving your local showcase a specific theme can really help get everyone excited and make it easier to promote, offline and on social media. Consider some of these fun and fresh theme ideas for your next runway spectacular:

Seasons in transition
A seasonally inspired show is a great way to mark the passing of time and to give your designs a cohesive color scheme. The fashion blog LEAFtv urges budding designers and fashionistas to follow these basic seasonal guidelines:

  • Winter: Crisp whites, furs (or fake fur), chic scarves, hats and other accessories. Complete your decor with a white runway and blue lighting.
  • Fall: Rustic fashions composed of reds, yellows, oranges. Velvets, yarn and fleece. Create layered, practical looks. Adorn you runway with dried leaves and tinder.
  • Spring: Rich, vibrant pastels with floral finishes. Mix earthy tones and textures with accessories that simulate the budding of flowers.
  • Summer: Bright colors, bold tropical hues. Keep the clothing itself light and flowing for a breezy, fun feel.

Whichever season you choose, adding a step and repeat/red carpet area for arriving guests will add to the fun. SignArtEtc offers customizable backdrops for photo ops, in any color and with any graphics you would like to use. And our professional layout services are free! The backdrop will make your photos look like they came straight from a big-name fashion show in NYC, Paris or Milan.

“Have your designers make futuristic dresses.”

Back in time – or to the future
Instead of trying to emulate modern fashions, why not choice a specific era in history and have models dress accordingly? Do a little research into the Renaissance, ancient Rome, the Victorian or Elizabethan era and see what fashion of the time seems the most exciting. Or for something a little easier to design on a budget, why not try a more modern era like the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s or ’80s? You can borrow your parents (or grandparents) era-specific clothing or raid your local Goodwill in search of the perfect outfit.

Not interested in seeing past fashions repeat themselves? Look to the future! Have your designers make futuristic dresses and space-age formal wear inspired by fashion to come. Let your imagination run wild!

A trip to the beach – or under the sea
Swimwear has always been a staple of chic fashion shows, so why not throw your own beach or nautical themed showcase? Turn your venue into a tropical paradise by adding some cardboard cut out palm trees and distribute leis to your guests. Everything from swimwear to sailing outfits will give the show a fun, summery feel.

Alternatively, you let your theme be “Under the Sea.” Turn your models into mermaids and mermen with sequined fish scale designs, seashell accessories and bright undersea colors.

A fall fashion theme can be a great way to celebrate the season!A fall fashion theme can be a great way to celebrate the season!

“Who says all your models have to be humans?”

Fashionable pets
Who says all your models have to be humans? A pet fashion show is a fun and funny way to get the community out to see what kind of crazy costumes and couture-inspired outfits you can come up with. Just be careful: Some of your “models” may be a bit touchy and overexcited by all the noise and stimulation.

Fictional or historical characters
Think of this as a part Halloween costume contest, part high fashion show. Have your designers take their favorite works of art – whether it’s a novel, movie, painting, song, etc – and base their work on that. Encourage them to think outside the box and just use the work of art as inspiration, rather than feeling beholden to reproduce it perfectly.

Whatever theme you choose, the key is to have fun and make it a can’t miss gala event. A customized backdrop can give your guests and models the touch of glamour, just like a Hollywood red carpet. Contact Sign Art Etc today to learn more.

Color: Understanding Your Options

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Color As A Medium Of Communication
One of the most important considerations in the creation of a sign revolves around the effective use of color. Color can convey emotions and elicit feelings. Red signifies life and passion. Blue gives the feelings of coolness and calm. Green connotes growth and springtime, and yellow says warmth and vitality.

Color Frequency and Vibration
Like sound waves, light rays have varying wavelengths or frequencies: the lighter the color, the higher the frequency. These wavelengths determine perception of color. Some pigments absorb certain light frequencies and reflect others. We see the reflected frequencies as color. Complementary colors such as red and green are not readily legible. They have similar black and white value, so their wavelengths set up a vibration. Any combination of colors of similar value, even without vibrating, will have low visibility. Although yellow and purple are complementary colors, they have strong contrast in value and therefore little vibration. They provide maximum visibility.

Comparative Visibility Of Full Value Color Combinations
These 14 color combinations for lettering were tested using only primary and secondary color of full hue and value. Tests for readability at a distance were conducted on different groups under the sponsorship of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). The results ranked in the sequence shown, with #1 the most legible and #14 as the least legible. Negative letters in 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 appear to have a broader stroke than their positive counterparts.

Color Wheel
The color wheel is divided into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The three primary colors are red, yellow and blue. These three are the foundation of all colors because they are used to create each and every color. When you combine two of the primary colors, you create the three secondary colors. The secondary colors are orange, green and violet. The six tertiary colors are created by combining a primary and an adjacent secondary color. The six tertiary colors are red-orange, red-violet, yellow-green, yellow-orange, blue-green, and blue-violet.

Color Temperature
Colors are also divided into categories by temperature feel. These are considered cool and warm colors. The cool colors are green, blue and violet, while warm colors are red, orange and yellow. Psychologically, the colors give the viewer the feeling of these temperatures.

Color Schemes

Related Schemes
Monochromatic: This color scheme uses a single hue. ( example: red and its varying tints and shades)

Analogous: The scheme uses adjacent hues. (example: red, red-orange, and red-violet)

Contrasting Schemes
Complementary
If two hues are opposite each other on the color wheel, they are considered to be complementary colors. When used together in a design, they make each other seem brighter and more intense. This is not always a good thing, however, as colors, such as red and green tend to make each other too intense and vibrate against each other. This can make for difficult reading.

Split Complementary
This color scheme uses three colors: any hue and the two adjacent to its complement.

Triadic
This scheme also uses three colors. They are evenly spaced from each other.

Discordant Schemes
Double Complement
This color scheme uses two pairs of complements.

Alternate Complement
This scheme uses four colors: a triad and a complement to one of the hues.

Tetrad
This scheme uses four colors evenly spaced on the color wheel. A primary, secondary and two tertiary colors are used.

Update Your Retail Store’s Signs and Banners for the New Year

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The new year is almost upon us! As the past year gives us all a chance to reflect and renew ourselves, now is the perfect time to update your retail store or pop up with a new look, including refreshing your signs, banners and displays. Your existing customers will be surprised and delighted and you may even attract new clientele. Here are a few tried-and-true ways to give your store an updated look and feel going into the new year:

Banners and Signs, Indoors and Outside
Take a peek at all the old in store signage and banners you’ve used over the last year and consider how things like colors and designs could be revamped. Maybe your store could benefit from a retractable banner that you can place outside to show off a sale? Or how about updating handcrafted signs with matte vinyl? A full-scale re-branding effort may mean that you have a new logo, font and color scheme that you should integrate into the sign design.

Much of what will attract customers to your shop takes places before they even step foot into it. Mobile signs you can set up on the sidewalk and in the parking lot along with bright flags and banners that announce your presence will catch their eye and draw them towards the front door. That’s where free-standing retractable banners or easily collapsible hopup displays can be an excellent solution to all your outdoor signage needs. Of course, be mindful of any local regulations that prohibit advertising in these areas.

Streamline and Reorganize
Have you noticed that certain areas of your store get a lot of traffic, while others just seem to gather dust? Are certain products flying off the shelves while the items right next to them just sit there? Going into the new year is a perfect time to question your existing layout and try something new. Open up your space to seem brighter and more inviting. Move your most desirable, fast moving products to the back of your shop – but still within eye line – to give customers the opportunity to pass some of your other offerings. Or, if you find that a certain product simply isn’t appealing to your clientele, consider not offering it in the new year and simply devoting additional space to the top sellers.

Make Your Window the Star of the Show
Your retail window is a little preview of the best and most inviting products you have to offer, so it pays to be conscientious about how it is set up. Too many products shoved into a window haphazardly may project a certain chaos that can be unappealing. The best window displays set a scene, creating a small narrative while still featuring the products in the pleasing way.

Create Engaging Promotions
When trying to attract new customers, think beyond your traditional sales and promotions. Try something unexpected and participatory, like having a sign advertising a prize if a customer can solve a puzzle or brainteaser. Alternatively, adorn your shop with inspiring slogans and snappy sayings to give it character.

Tap Into the Five Senses
Not every key to your store’s success is visual. Keep in mind that everyone has five senses – and you want to try and appeal to as many of them at a time as possible. While your customers won’t be tasting your products – unless you sell food – be mindful of what your shop feels, smells and sounds like in addition to simply how it looks

A personalized wedding drop can include the bridge and groom's names, the wedding date and a unique graphic.

Let a Personalized Wedding Backdrop Tell Your Love Story

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Many traditional wedding ceremonies featured an arch at the alter. Whether they were made with wood, metal, flowers or linens, these arches provided a beautiful backdrop for the photos while letting the couple express themselves. The arches represented the couple’s future home together.

Today, modern couples have even more options when it comes to a personalized wedding backdrop. A customized background can be designed to fit perfectly with your wedding theme, while providing the opportunity for unique photos for the happy couple and their guests. Your imagination is the only limit.

Your names, your date, your style
One customization idea is featuring your names, along with the date of your special day, in a variety of fonts and colors.

A wedding backdrop can include the bride and groom's names, the date and a unique graphic.

A wedding backdrop can include the bride and groom’s names, the date and a unique graphic.

A unique graphic
If you have a graphic in mind, put it on your banner. Your can create a logo or image featuring you and your spouse-to-be, just like Alnissa and Mario did as seen in the photo above.

One size doesn’t have to fit all
If the traditional step and repeat diagonal pattern doesn’t work for you, there are plenty more options. You can also feature one large image on your backdrop: a wood panel design for a rustic ceremony, an ocean scene for a nautical theme or flowers for your spring wedding.

On your special day, you’re going to be creating a lifetime of memories. The Sign Art team can help! You can choose a pre-made design, or our talented team can design it to your specifications. Choose from a variety of sizes and materials.

Throw a spectacular end of summer blowout!

End of Summer Party Ideas: Food, Games, Photos and More

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Looking for a few end of summer party ideas? We have you covered! As the kids get ready to go back to school and the warm season comes to an end, there’s no better way to cap things off than a festive last hurrah. Here are a few ways to end your summer in style and throw a memorable and fun party:

Make sure food and drink are plentiful
When coordinating a party, the key is to ensure that there are more than enough refreshments for all your guests and whoever they might bring. In general, the simplest and most informal thing to do is to tell your guests you will be providing food and SOME drinks, but to encourage them to BYOB.

No summer party would be complete without firing up the grill. Go with something simple and crowd-pleasing like grilled veggies, chicken, burgers and hot dogs. Rather than being chained to the grill, make clear in your invitation that cooking will take place during set hours (such as between 6 pm and 8 pm.). If your guests have dietary restrictions, say that they are free to bring a dish of their own in a potluck style. Avoid running out of food by purchasing plenty of inexpensive, simple finger foods like chips and dip.

For an end of summer party, make sure there's enough food for all your guests.Make sure you buy enough grillables for all your guests.

Don’t forget the games
Beach-inspired party games are a great way to say goodbye to the summer season. Ring toss, horseshoes, cornhole and even bocce are fun, simple to play and inexpensive. Also keep a few other, more traditional options around, like a football, plastic throwing disc, wiffleball and maybe even a tic-tac-toe board.

Make sure there are enough places to sit
Five lawn chairs for 30 people simply won’t cut it. Often, the seating arrangement is an afterthought when planning an outdoor party, but your guests will not want to stand the entire time. Consider renting folding chairs, which are often available at local party supply stores for only around $2 a chair. Want something even easier and less expensive? Set out blankets and beach towels to give your party a picnic vibe.

Avoid the bugs
The only bad thing about late summer is that it can be peak insect season. Keep mosquitos and other pests away with citronella candles, fans and non-DEET bug repelling wipes that can be used as an alternative to smelly fogging sprays.

“Starting a bonfire is a great way to keep the party going after dark.”

Start a bonfire for late night festivities
Not ready to pack it in by the time the sun goes down? Starting a small, controlled bonfire is a great way to keep the party going after dark. Whether it’s in a store-bought fire pit or a designated campfire area, start with smaller dry wood and slowly build the fire over the course of the evening. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby just in case things get out of hand.

While you may not need it on hot summer days, the fire is a natural focal point, offering illumination and helping ward off any chill that your guests might feel. Break out some marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate and encourage your guests to make s’mores!

Set up a staging area for selfies and photos
Want to make your summer party feel like more of an event rather than a backyard cookout? Add a touch of glitz by having a photo staging area, complete with custom backdrops! Sure, people will be walking around snapping candids, but a designated photo area is a fun and playful way to make your party feel that much more significant.

Looking to make your end of summer party a hit? Call Sign Art Etc for all your banner and backdrop needs!